My trackball is refusing to work. Part of the time. If it's working and I leave the computer for a minute, it'll stop. Seeing as touchpads suck, I need my trackball to work! "This device is connected and functioning properly" my butt...
See! Now it's working! When I started typing this message it wasn't! WHAT THE FRELL IS GOING ON!?
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
And now it doesn't work. Stopped in mid-movement. Help?
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
I'm no expert, but is it possible to take the ball out and clean the inside like a regular mouse?
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
After viewing porn, wash your hands before touching your trackball.
Posted by E. Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Which trackball? Which drivers (if any)? Not providing those two vital pieces of info makes it quite impossible to tell what the problem is.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I've never used a trackball much myself -- my dad had one for a while, but I hated the damn thing.
However, could there be some kind of preference set in your driver that tells the computer to ignore the ball while you're typing? My trackpad has that option... I know you're having trouble with a trackBALL, but that's the only thing I can think of that might be causing intermittent inactivity. Barring a mechanical malfunction, of course.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Cleaning won't help. The buttons don't work either.
Logitech mouse, Microsoft driver.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Won't or hasn't? Won't seems to imply that you don't think it will, while hasn't implies that you have tried....
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Why would I think it wouldn't if I hadn't tried it? That'd just be silly.
Under any circumstances, other mice work. So I'm gonna assume it's the trackball and get a new one. It was second hand, anyway. Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
Remember to wash your hands with the new one.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Could be a lose connection. But just to double check, why don't you download the logitech drivers? They have a fairly easy to navigage web-site.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Hmm... good advice. Unfortunately, it didn't work, but good advice, nonetheless.
New trackball it is. Thanks, gents.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Which was the good advice? Downloading new drivers, or washing your hands? Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Both are good advice.
Have you tried the trackball on another computer? Just for a laugh, and to see if it works?
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Trackball? Wow... I haven't used one since 1997. I'd consider switching to an optical mouse; there are no moving parts to clean and can work on any surface, even on the human torso.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
quote:Originally posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge: Trackball? Wow... I haven't used one since 1997. I'd consider switching to an optical mouse; there are no moving parts to clean and can work on any surface, even on the human torso.
Thanx for sharing...
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
mmmm, ew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by E. Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Kinda explains why he's single, doesn't it?
Posted by * (Member # 13) on :
I use my optical mouse on my leg, it's a lot more comfortable than stretching my arm out to the desk. Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
the imagery is completely different.....
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Hmm... further experimenting. My PS/2 port is fine, seeing as other mice work. My trackball is fine, seeing as it works on my desktop. Thus, the problem is in the software interface. I've downloaded the drivers with no success. Further suggestions?
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Keep the mice....
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
And feed them this time.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
Curiouser and curiouser. The trackball works consistantly IF I drape the cord over the upper-left corner of the screen. This has no effect on the actual position of the connector in the jack. Frelling dumb. But, hey, it works, and I get to keep using my three-button PS/2.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
Time to get a deluxe optical wireless USB-connected receiver trackball. Heh.
Out of curiosity, maybe you should check the connector betwen the jack and the motherboard inside the case, assuming that the connector isn't part of the motherboard itself.
Posted by E. Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Methinks you ought to replace the cord. Sounds like one of the wires running through the thing is broken.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
That would have been my guess, were I required to make one. But how do you propose I do this?
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
Changing a cord is really very simple, you might not even have to change the whole cord. First check the cord for any obvious nicks, cuts, squashes. Second if you don't find any, position the cord where the tb works fine, then wiggle the cord (nearest connectors, or where it goes into the TB) and see if you can get the TB to stop working. If you find the area you may be able to cut the cord and spice it back together. If this method does not work or you feel better about replacing the whole thing, Open the tb up and determine how many wires are in the cord. You will also have to determine where the wires go on the pinouts, at the connector. Go to an Electronics store and get a peice of the required cable, with a connector already on it would be preferable, and remake the end needed to connect to the tb itself. Or if the tb end of the cord is soldered to the board inside and you don't feel comfortable soldering to the board, then just cut the cord inside the tb(a cord inside is usually protected from breakage) and spice the new cord to the old one.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Then after factoring in the time taken to do all of this, dividing by pi, and multipled by the hourly rate you make at work, you may find it less expensive to buy a new one....
Had that happen to a mouse once, I found that I had placed the monitors base on it, then with the kids adjusting the monitor for their viewing pleasure it went to hell in a hand basket...
Other mice I have worn out, the connection at the mouse went out. I can see this with a moving mouse, but a track ball shouldn't be moved that much....
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
Barring use on the human torso of course.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Three button mice are the best things ever. Why, barely a second goes by when I don't use that third button. It brings sexy joy to my sexy life.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
My mouse has four, and optical, and wireless, and when I command it to dance to my will it does, tirelessly!
I am behind in sound, video, CPU speed, and even case-attractiveness. But I try to keep at least one peripheral on the cutting edge.
Cutting! Edge!
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
I put a lava lamp on my computer. The sad thing is that it doesn't look particularly out of place.
Posted by Captain-class, Mike-variant (Member # 709) on :
my computer has a set of pointless pattern blinking LEDs attached to the side to make it look more powerful than it really is. Its the 'Wrath of Khan' in me.
Posted by E. Cartman (Member # 256) on :
I plan to engineer a neural interface to put away with these primitive methods of input.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
As long as it is not on the same lines as Mike's LEDs....
Posted by Captain-class, Mike-variant (Member # 709) on :
EVERYTHING needs LEDs! ESPECIALLY neural interfaces, tho!!!
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Is it me, or do Mike's lights not blink? or do you have a eon of time between the blinks???
Posted by Captain-class, Mike-variant (Member # 709) on :
they are blink-blink-blinking away on mine. three green, three red and two blank.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
mmmm, NS 6 doesn't, IE 6 does, Mozilla doesn't...
Posted by Captain-class, Mike-variant (Member # 709) on :
Netscape? .. ew..
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
mmmm, I feel the same way about any microsoft program.... the OS is bad enough... I don't use anything else, if at all possible, by microsoft...
Posted by Captain-class, Mike-variant (Member # 709) on :
you have to judge the individual program's merits tho.. Netscape 6 was buggy as hell when i DLed it.. i had to do a lot of reconfiguring just to get my computer to be able to sign online again after i used it... i hate a lotta MS apps too, but IE is my first choice for browsing.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
I do, I am not saying that they are not functional, just that I hate them.... I like my Corel....
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
mmmm, NS 6 doesn't, IE 6 does, Mozilla doesn't...
Works in my Mozie...
Three button mice are the best things ever. Why, barely a second goes by when I don't use that third button. It brings sexy joy to my sexy life.
Actually, I can map that button to whatever I want. But I use it in Mozilla to open links in new windows instead of the existing one. Quite handy, actually. And it's REAL good in Jedi Outcast. I can map the left button to primary fire, the right button to secondary fire, and the middle button to force power. It's nice to be able to lift a stormtrooper into the air and chuck your sabre at him without moving your hand off the mouse.
Posted by Captain-class, Mike-variant (Member # 709) on :
thats the skill that separates us from the animals and beasts
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
I thought that was not being afraid of vacuum cleaners?
Posted by Capped In Mic (Member # 709) on :
I am PETRIFIED of vacuum cleaners
Posted by FreeThoughtCrimeAmerica (Member # 480) on :
From mice to vacuum cleaners. Score one for being topical.
I've seen vacuum cleaners that have optical sensors that will let them gauge the perfect height for the suspension in ratio to the shag-factor of the carpet, in order to facilitate better, cleaner homes with fewer dust mites.
I don't know about you, but I just jam the fucker all the way to the floor, all the time. No need for lasers when sucking dust off the rug.
And as for the actual topic: I'm going optical soon. Stopping a game of Max Payne to clean your XYZ wheels is like having a concert stop so the guitarist can change his strings. (Or, lasers do help when killing virtual assassins.)
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
There is so much sexual innuendo in that post, FreeThought.
To be topical, my laptop has a touchpad. It took me a few weeks to get used to it, but I think its quite cool. However, drawing with a touchpad can be quite a challenge at times (as well as being completely awkward).
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Surely you have one hand on the keyboard when playing Jedi Knight II anyway?
And scrollwheels are much better. Much.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
I like the scrollwheels. So nice to use them when half of my job consists of scrolling up and down r�sum�s and company webpages.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
